Immersive Technology for the American Workforce Act of 2023

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3211 To direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a competitive grant program to support community colleges and career and technical education centers in developing immersive technology education and training programs for workforce development, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 11, 2023 Ms. BLUNT ROCHESTER (for herself, Mr. WALBERG, Mr. SOTO, and Mr. GARBARINO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com- mittee on Education and the Workforce A BILL To direct the Secretary of Labor to carry out a competitive grant program to support community colleges and career and technical education centers in developing immersive technology education and training programs for work- force development, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Immersive Technology 4 for the American Workforce Act of 2023’’. 5 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 6 Congress finds the following: 7 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3211 IH (1) Rural communities have unique workforce 1 considerations and challenges. 2 (2) Almost 25 percent of Americans live in 3 rural communities, and while urban areas have expe- 4 rienced job and population growth, rural commu- 5 nities face static or declining populations and job de- 6 cline. 7 (3) Rural communities were hit harder and re- 8 covered more slowly than urban centers during the 9 2007–2008 recession and have experienced more 10 economic depression and decline in college enroll- 11 ment due to the COVID–19 pandemic. 12 (4) Rural communities historically have lower 13 rates of postsecondary education, which is a barrier 14 to traditional employment in industries like agri- 15 culture and manufacturing. 16 (5) The World Economic Forum’s Future of 17 Jobs report estimates that by 2025 over half of all 18 employees will require ‘‘significant’’ reskilling cre- 19 ating a significant demand for workforce develop- 20 ment and training programs. 21 (6) Immersive technologies are proving effective 22 in helping rural communities tackle these challenges. 23 (7) Technologically mediated training can in- 24 clude extended reality (XR) tools (such as aug- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3211 IH mented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, and 1 high-tech simulations), which are increasingly valued 2 as resources to train workers in industries ranging 3 from manufacturing to health care, agriculture to 4 construction, and clean energy to public safety. 5 (8) Use of immersive technology permits on-site 6 training and continued education, promotes effi- 7 ciency, aids recruiting as well as retention, improves 8 communication and collaboration, and increases 9 safety. 10 (9) Immersive technologies allow workers to 11 train directly under the supervision and tutelage of 12 more experienced experts who are located outside of 13 the local community. 14 (10) These technologies help workers remain 15 well equipped for the demands of the modern econ- 16 omy. As the need for reskilling increases, so will the 17 need for technologies which support American work- 18 ers rather than replace them. 19 (11) Building in accessibility features in 20 immersive technology for usability by individuals 21 with disabilities, including disabled veterans, allows 22 inclusive immersive technology to benefit more work- 23 ers. 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 4 •HR 3211 IH (12) Community colleges, area career and tech- 1 nical education centers, and other training providers 2 are uniquely positioned to support rural communities 3 in skills development and workforce training. 4 (13) People without a postsecondary credential 5 are 4 times more likely to have a job that can be 6 lost to automation than those who have one, increas- 7 ing their need to learn new skills in order to remain 8 competitive and employable. 9 (14) Community colleges provide education at a 10 lower cost, with most graduates incurring no student 11 debt. 12 (15) In addition to providing lower cost work- 13 force development training and skills education ap- 14 plicable across a range of roles and occupations, 15 community colleges serve as large regional employers 16 and critical community hubs. 17 (16) Offering grants to community colleges and 18 area career and technical education centers in rural 19 areas to develop and provide immersive technology 20 training programs will help rural communities or 21 significantly serve rural areas in the short term and 22 position them for success in the longer term. 23 (17) Despite their proven value, community col- 24 leges and area career and technical education 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 5 •HR 3211 IH schools bear significant funding limitations and 1 shortages. 2 (18) Providing immersive technology training 3 programs through community colleges can help rural 4 communities retain local talent, whether by pro- 5 viding qualification for new local jobs or for remote 6 employment opportunities with companies 7 headquartered in urban centers that are struggling 8 to fill jobs. 9 (19) Ensuring the accessibility of immersive 10 technology training tools can expand opportunities 11 for people with disabilities to learn and work from 12 wherever they reside. Given that some people with 13 disabilities choose remote options to meet their ac- 14 cess needs, it is critical to make immersive tech- 15 nology training tools accessible to everyone. 16 (20) Immersive technology training partnership 17 with community colleges and area career and tech- 18 nical education schools also complements recent 19 Federal funding for broadband connection and phys- 20 ical infrastructure, the two other biggest hurdles fac- 21 ing rural students and workers seeking reskilling or 22 upskilling. 23 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 6 •HR 3211 IH SEC. 3. GRANTS FOR IMMERSIVE TECHNOLOGY AND EDU- 1 CATION WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS 2 AND CAREER PATHWAYS. 3 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than one year after the 4 date of enactment of this section, from the amounts appro- 5 priated to carry out this section, the Secretary of Labor 6 shall award grants, on a competitive basis, to eligible enti- 7 ties to carry out immersive technology education and 8 workforce training programs or career pathways that use 9 immersive technology. 10 (b) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible entity receiving a 11 grant under this section shall use such grant for at least 12 one of the following: 13 (1) To develop and implement or improve an 14 immersive technology education and workforce train- 15 ing program, or a related policy, program, or other 16 activity that uses immersive technology that— 17 (A) facilitates the transfer of academic 18 credits (including for courses in the same field 19 or program of study) between covered commu- 20 nity colleges and other institutions of higher 21 education, including other covered community 22 colleges; and 23 (B) develops or enhances supportive serv- 24 ices for students enrolled in such a program or 25 activity. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 7 •HR 3211 IH (2) The creation or alignment of a career path- 1 way that provides a sequence of education and occu- 2 pational training that leads to a recognized postsec- 3 ondary credential, including a program or activity 4 that— 5 (A)(i) includes integrated education and 6 training that uses immersive technology; and 7 (ii) is designed to increase the provision of 8 workforce training for students (including indi- 9 viduals who are members of the Armed Forces 10 and veterans) in order to facilitate the entry of 11 such students into in-demand industry sectors 12 or occupations; or 13 (B) enables the training of instructors in 14 the use of immersive technology in education 15 and workforce training programs. 16 (3)(A) To develop and implement, in consulta- 17 tion with one or more of the entities described in 18 subparagraph (B), an immersive technology edu- 19 cation and training program, which— 20 (i) is accessible to individuals with a dis- 21 ability, disabled veterans, and individuals with a 22 barrier to employment; and 23 (ii) applies current and emerging accessi- 24 bility standards for extended reality tech- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 8 •HR 3211 IH nologies to provide physical and programmatic 1 accessibility, in accordance with section 188 of 2 the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act 3 (29 U.S.C. 3248). 4 (B) The entities described in this subparagraph 5 shall include one or more of the following: 6 (i) A disability advocacy group. 7 (ii) A researcher working on inclusive de- 8 sign and accessibility. 9 (iii) A consultant of inclusive design and 10 accessibility. 11 (iv) An extended reality platform manufac- 12 turer, software developer, or content developer. 13 (c) DURATION OF GRANTS.—A grant awarded under 14 this section shall be for a period of not more than 5 years, 15 except that in the case of an eligible entity that has carried 16 out a program or activity with such a grant that meets 17 the criteria for satisfactory progress on performance indi- 18 cators as determined under subsection (h)(1) for the ini- 19 tial 5-year grant period, the Secretary may award an addi- 20 tional grant under this section to such eligible entity. 21 (d) APPLICATION.—An eligible entity seeking a grant 22 under this section shall submit to the Secretary an appli- 23 cation at such time, in such manner, and containing such 24 information as the Secretary may require. 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 9 •HR 3211 IH (e) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this sec- 1 tion, the Secretary shall give priority to any eligible entity 2 that— 3 (1) is working with, or in carrying out a pro- 4 gram or activity to be funded with such a grant 5 plans to work with, an industry or sector partner- 6 ship that prioritizes the hiring of individuals who 7 have obtained a recognized postsecondary credential 8 as a result of the program or activity; or 9 (2) submits an application under subsection (d) 10 that demonstrates— 11 (A) alignment with— 12 (i) the State plan under section 102 13 or 103 of the Workforce Innovation and 14 Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3112; 3113) 15 of a State in which the eligible entity will 16 be carrying out a program or activity to be 17 funded with such a grant; 18 (ii) the local plan under section 108 of 19 the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity 20 Act (29 U.S.C. 3123) of a local area in 21 which such a program or activity will be 22 carried out; or 23 (iii) the State plan under section 122 24 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Tech- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00009 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 10 •HR 3211 IH nical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 1 2342) with respect to a State in which 2 such a program or activity will be carried 3 out; 4 (B) with quantitative data and evidence, 5 the extent to which the program or activity to 6 be funded by such a grant will meet the needs 7 of employers; 8 (C) how such a program or activity will 9 target a specific in-demand industry sector or 10 occupation which has a skills gap; 11 (D) how such a program or activity will re- 12 train workers from an industry sector that is 13 experiencing decreasing employment; 14 (E) how such a program or activity will 15 target individuals with barriers to employment; 16 (F) how such a program or activity will 17 serve an area of substantial unemployment (as 18 defined in section 132(b)(1)(B) of the Work- 19 force Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 20 U.S.C. 3172(b)(1)(B))); or 21 (G) how such a program or activity will 22 serve a rural area. 23 (f) REPORTS.— 24 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:11 May 22, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00010 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 11 •HR 3211 IH (1) REPORT TO THE SECRETARY.—Each eligi- 1 ble entity receiving a grant under this section shall 2 submit to the Secretary a report for each year of the 3 grant period for such grant that includes a descrip- 4 tion of each program and activity funded under the 5 grant, including— 6 (A) the levels of performance achieved for 7 each indicator of performance under section 8 116(b)(2)(A)(i) of the Workforce Innovation 9 and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 10 3141(b)(2)(A)(i)), disaggregated, with respect 11 to the participants of such program or activity, 12 by age, race or ethnicity, gender, each sub- 13 population of individuals with barriers to em- 14 ployment, and status as a low-income indi- 15 vidual; and 16 (B) in a case of an eligible entity that 17 works with an industry or sector partnership in 18 carrying out such a program or activity, the 19 role of such partnership in carrying out the pro- 20 gram or activity. 21 (2) REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 22 year after the first grant is awarded under this sec- 23 tion and biennially thereafter, the Secretary shall 24 submit to Congress a report that includes a sum- 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 16:21 May 21, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00011 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3211.IH H3211 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 12 •HR 3211 IH mary of the information submitted under paragraph 1 (1) for the most recent 2-year period. 2 (g) EVALUATION.—The Secretary shall reserve not 3 less than 1 percent and not more than 5 percent of any 4 amounts made available for each fiscal year to conduct 5 a rigorous, independent evaluation of, and technical assist- 6 ance for, the programs and activities carried out under 7 this section. 8 (h) SATISFACTORY PROGRESS.— 9 (1) DETERMINATION OF CRITERIA.—The Sec- 10 retary of Labor, in coordination with the Secretary 11 of Education, shal [Text truncated for display. 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